Humming House was the perfect show to kick off a long holiday weekend. Energetic stage presence, heart-filled lyrics, and each band member oozing with talent. Just like their song off last-year’s album Revelries says, “What have we got to lose? Nothing but hours, nuts, bolts, and screws.”
Opening for Humming House at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia on Friday was Keelan Donovan. Depending on how you see it, Donovan is either from Portland, Maine (originally) or Nashville, Tennessee (more recently). What’s less debatable is the potential this musician has as a songwriter. It should also be noted that he is so green, he was not even expecting a photographer to be taking photos of him during his live set.
“You scared the hell out me!” he stopped mid-story when our photographer stepped on the stage to get a closer picture after his first song.
Despite a few human-moments, like admitting to burping while singing and being super sore for working out “for the first time in two years,” Donovan’s music was as substantive as his banter was goofy.
His songs reveled in all the different ways love makes us cry and laugh and question where home is — and his cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” was a fun pick to mix in because as he said, “I know you guys just want the hits.”
You might have heard his work before and not realized it. His song “Tonight Feels Different” was featured on ABC’s Nashville last December. What you definitely have not heard before is his new song “Adeline” which he played live for the first time for the crowd that started clapping along by the end of the first verse. It’s one that will be on his upcoming record. He also admitted he was out of breathe by the end of it, laughing “eh, gotta figure that one out.”
My favorite story he shared was when he proposed to a girl who caught his eye one night at a bar, but she ended up turning his offer down and riding away in a cab. So what else is a musician to do with a crushing situation like that? Write the song “Julianna” of course.
Humming House delivered originals like “Fly On” that had the audience clapping and dancing. Other times we were brought to tears by “The Love That We’ve Made.” It was a treat to see them in such an intimate venue.
And sprinkled through their performance were well-loved songs like Wings’ “Maybe I’m Amazed” and Alicia Keys’ “Fallin”. Despite their familiarity, these covers had special variations with the band that made them feel fresh again. Leslie Rodriguez and Justin Wade Tam powerful vocals were only showed up at the end of the show when fiddle player (and D.C. native!) Bobby Chase started beatboxing for their cover of Justin Timberlake’s “My Love”.
This is a band that can take the sounds of Nashville, the feels of heartache, the power of acoustics, and make it feel like a party.
The best news? Humming House has a new album on the horizon, and they will be at Rams Head Live in Baltimore on Nov. 1 and then opening for Eric Hutchinson at 9:30 Club on Nov. 2.
Check out the whole album of photos from the evening on our Facebook page. And if you need a track to hold you over until Humming House is back in town, don’t look farther than “Run With Me.” The music video is a dream-dose of dogs!
Blog and photos by Cristina Rayas & Toby Mues